Loyal Lawyer by Lauren Runow

Chapter Twenty

“Thank you, Mom. It feels good to be thirty-two and still have your mother remind you of how long she pushed, giving birth to you while in labor.” Sebastian’s hearty chuckle as he speaks into the phone bounces through the halls of his townhouse as I walk down the stairs.

I’m dressed for the day in a short floral dress with gladiator sandals and a sparkly headband. With a quick glance in the mirror, I assess my long, dark hair that I curled to make me look like one of the Coachella girls. Not my usual look, but I thought it would be perfect for today.

“Amy is taking me to a concert—a festival actually. Should be fun. What was that? You’re kidding,” I hear Sebastian say.

I pad down the hall to his office, where the sound of his voice is coming from, and peek in.

He’s seated at his desk, leaning back in his chair and smiling, as a man should be on his birthday. Luckily, it’s a Saturday, so he has the day free to himself. Double lucky that it’s not the weekend of the baby shower. That was last weekend, and it was fine. Sebastian’s parents and an aunt came to town, so the women could attend. Sebastian and his father helped bring all the gifts back to Lauren’s house. Afterward, his family came back to Sebastian’s house, where they met me, and we went out for a lovely dinner.

No one addressed the unusualness of the situation, having gone to an event for his former lover and then sitting at a table with his new one. They are too dignified for that, whereas my family would have made it the conversation to last through New Year’s Eve.

He sees me at the door and ushers me in. His brows rise with an appreciative glance at the sight of me in my outfit for today. I reach for his extended hand and take a seat on his lap as he continues his phone call.

“Baby’s good. He’s measuring perfectly. Uh-huh. I’ll ask about that. It’s a good question. I don’t know. Well, Amy and I painted the nursery this week, and the furniture is arriving this Thursday. It’s gonna look perfect.”

That’s the other thing that’s happening. The nursery at Sebastian’s place is being put together. Since Lauren chose a linen white for the room, we used the same color. It’ll be handsome with the modern cherry furniture that’s coming. Sebastian already has the glider, changing table, and diaper bag.

It’s been interesting, nesting with him. On one hand, it’s a part of him that I love the most. His devotion. His ability to never scare and to take matters into his own hands by being a strong family head—even when the family is unconventional.

It’s also the part that scares me.

He’s rubbing the side of my arm, and then he kisses my bicep. I look down at him and smile.

“Amy’s right here. Let me ask,” Sebastian says into the phone and then looks up at me. “My mother is asking if you want to see the Philadelphia Orchestra with us in October. She’s staying with us for two weeks to spend time with the baby and do some touristy things around the city. She’s getting the tickets now. You in?”

I swallow and nod. “I’d love that.”

“Great!” He smiles and shares the news with his mom, laughing and talking about something his father did before he thanks her for calling on his birthday and ends the call with, “I love you.”

When he hangs up, he places his phone on his desk and settles back into his seat, looking like a very content man, especially as his hand travels up the inside of my dress.

“You look beautiful,” he drawls.

I nibble on his ear and inhale that delicious scent of him. “Happy birthday.”

“You already wished me that in the bedroom and the shower. Are you telling me you want to show me again?”

I giggle and move away from him a little in protest. “As addictive as you might be to me, there is no way I am letting you destroy my hair and makeup.”

“Destroy is a powerful word.”

I lower my gaze to him. “You are a sensual man who goes into overdrive.”

He laughs. “Is that true? Well, I’ll have to make a point to turn it down a bit.”

I playfully slap his arm. “Don’t you dare. Just give a girl a reprieve, so she can look smashing for her man all day on his birthday. It took me a long time to curl my hair.”

He leans up and kisses me. “Fair enough. I’ll save the destroying for tonight.”

I grin as I get up from his lap and walk around the desk. Sebastian rises as well and adjusts his shorts.

This is what it’s like with him. Fun banter, sexy times, and lots of dates.

“There’s a new brunch place I want to try tomorrow. I asked Miles and his girlfriend to join us,” he says as we walk out of the room toward the kitchen.

I pout. “Shoot. I didn’t pack anything nice for brunch. I just have shorts and a tank.”

“That should be fine.”

“No. I’ll run back in the morning and get a sundress.”

“You know, Amy, you wouldn’t have to be running all over the city if you just kept your clothes here.”

I lift a shoulder. “I don’t mind keeping my things in one place. It’s—”

“Tidy. I know, you’ve mentioned that before.” He winks as he takes his mug and fills it with coffee. “You stay here every night now. Even when I’m working late. At some point, you’re gonna have to own up to the fact that you live here too.”

“You know, I could easily start sleeping at my place again,” I say cheekily. “You’d be in that big king-size bed, all by your lonesome.”

“Nope. I wouldn’t allow it.”

I lift up on my toes and kiss him. “Then, don’t start making a big deal about where I keep my clothes.”

He shakes his head, yet there’s still a grin on his face.

Turning around, I saunter through the house and grab my bag, making sure I have everything for the day.

“Charity is meeting us at the entrance,” I call over to him.

He walks into the living room. “Great. I told Jeremy to meet us there too. You don’t think this is a bad first meet for a blind date?”

“They both said they wanted to go to the music festival, and there will be plenty of distractions if they don’t hit it off, which I’m hoping they will, based on how highly you speak of the guy.”

“He is a world-class guy. Attorney, Princeton graduate. And funny—I was told that was a prerequisite.”

“Then, it should be a great day. Ready to hit the road, birthday boy?”

He slides his keys in his pocket. “Lead the way, my love.”

* * *

As far as blind dates go, Charity and Jeremy’s is a seven out of ten.

We met up at the entrance of the Firelight Festival, and the two exchanged pleasantries while looking each other up and down. They both seemed happy with what was in front of them, which was a good sign.

The four of us caught the show that was going on when we walked in—a local band who had a huge following, playing a mixture of punk rock and soul music. They were fun, and Charity and I jumped and danced to the music while the guys listened and talked. After that, we got drinks and enjoyed the gorgeous ninety-degree day.

Sebastian and I usually go to fine dining, so it was a treat to eat from food trucks. We each chose Philly cheesesteaks made to order and shared a bite of each other’s to see if we could be swayed to leave our preferred orders. News flash: we can’t.

Four shows, a couple of IPAs, and lots of laughs later, I’ve learned a few new things about my boyfriend. He loves cotton candy and fruity water ice. He despises blonde ales and knows almost every word to every song. The guy knows how to catch on to a song’s hook and can belt it out even if it’s the first time he’s ever heard the song. I’ve never seen one of his shows, but I’m getting an idea of the showmanship Sebastian brings outside of the courtroom.

Despite his attire of cargo shorts and Lacoste V-neck T-shirt, he stands out in the crowd. It could be his tall, strong manly stature in a sea of boys, or the way his tanned skin and chocolate eyes seem to catch the sunlight in every way, or even the bellow of his laugh and that deep vibrato that carries over the music. Most likely, it’s because he has charisma. It’s in his walk and the way he orders food. Hell, he even caught my eye when he stopped to tie his shoe.

He always finds a way to touch me. His hands are on my lower back when we move through a crowd and wrapped around me protectively when we dance, and he lazily drifts to my backside for no reason at all.

As for Charity and Jeremy, the day is going well but not great.

“Okay, don’t look now, but this guy has the juiciest ass in the world,” Charity says a little too loudly to me, which makes Jeremy’s eyes widen. She gives a bashful, “Whoops, sorry. Yours is super cute too.”

Sebastian leans over and whispers into my ear, “I don’t know if she knows this, but a man never wants the word cute attached to any part of his anatomy.”

I giggle and then turn to Jeremy. “Do you go to a lot of concerts?”

“No, actually. I’m more of a sports guy. I have season tickets for the Eagles, Phillies, and the Flyers,” he states and then lifts a finger. “Oh God, and the 76ers, of course. I must have lost my mind for a second.”

“Must be all those sporting events you go to,” Charity says in a cutesy, sarcastic way.

“Come on. It’s not so bad. The games are filled with energy, the tailgating is a blast, and it’s a great way to mix business with pleasure.”

Charity nods. “Fair enough. And there are super-cute outfits to wear for every game. I’d get decked out from head to toe. Rhinestones and glitter everywhere.”

“I have red face paint. I can give you a full face for the Phillies games,” he says.

“That’s funny.” She blows him off.

“No. I’m totally serious. Half-white, half-red, and I even write on my body when my friends and I are together. We’ve been on camera a ton of times.”

She looks at him with a side-eye. “Oh. Cool. Sounds like fun.”

Jeremy’s phone rings, so he steps away from us to answer. Sebastian offers to get us more drinks at a nearby tent and then kisses my temple before leaving.

“Jeremy is pretty great,” I say, gauging her interest.

“Yeah,” she says, almost as if she’s trying to convince herself. “He’s certainly a lot of fun. He’s been game for every band, no matter the music, and he’s going with the flow of the day.”

“Absolutely. And he’s really hot.”

“Yeah. So cute.”

“So sorry for that,” Jeremy says when he returns with his phone still in his hand. It rings again, so he holds it to his ear to answer. “Oh, wait. I have to take this too. Hang on. Hello? Is that so? Tell me more.”

He walks away again.

Sebastian returns with drinks for us, careful not to spill beer out of the top of the plastic cups. “This festival is awesome.”

“Are you having a good birthday, babe?”

“The best. I never would have done this. For some reason, I thought it was more for young twenty-somethings,” he states before taking a sip.

I swallow my own drink. “That’s what’s great about it. There are bands that span every genre, so you get a mix of all age groups.”

Jeremy returns again and takes his drink from Sebastian. “Thanks, man.”

“The only time I’ve been to a concert like this was in Miami. Jennifer Lopez put on a show on South Beach for a client of mine, and it was the best.” Sebastian smiles.

“We saw U2 in Central Park a few years ago. It was amazing,” Charity gushes, and I high-five her at the memory of our girls’ weekend.

“Okay, I don’t want to sound snobbish, but if you haven’t been to see Andrea Bocelli in Lajatico, Tuscany, you haven’t really lived life. Am I right?” Jeremy says, and I see Charity inwardly cringe.

“So, what are everyone’s plans for the rest of the summer?” I ask.

Charity answers first, “Just work for me. The rooftop at the Garden Room is insane at night. The tips are fantastic, so I’m taking on as many hours as they’ll offer me.”

“I go to the Garden Room all the time. When we have clients from out of town, we take them there for after-dinner drinks. The waitresses are like eye candy, so the … shit. That was really dumb.” Jeremy’s posture rolls back as he realizes his mistake.

“It was,” Charity agrees and takes a huge chug of her drink. But as she always does, she finds a way to level the situation. “We usually draw straws when we see the epic douchey professional guys come in with their clients. You never know if you’re gonna get sexually harassed or tipped an extra hundred because they think they’re going home with you at the end of the night—which, by the way, I never, ever do.”

Jeremy gives her a cheers. “To epic douche bags who should keep their mouths shut.”

“Cheers to you!” she chimes, and they end up launching into a conversation about the band that’s up on the stage.

Sebastian snakes an arm around my waist and pulls me into him. His chin rests on my shoulder as he drawls into my ear, “That could have been a disaster.”

“Looks like it won’t be a match made in heaven.”

“You never know. The night’s still young.”

“I don’t know. It seems to be getting older by the minute.”

My comment gets me a tickle on my side, and then he takes my hand and leads me away to a row of carnival games. He takes a selfie of us with the stage in the background and the massive crowd gathered behind us. There’s a football toss game, sponsored by the local sports radio station. Sebastian hands me the ball, and I give it a toss, missing the bull’s-eye, pathetically. It’s a one toss per person game, but instead of taking his turn, he offers it up to me. This time, he gives me pointers on what to do.

“It’s all about the fingers. Middle on the top laces, ring finger on the second and third. Pinkie on the back.” Sebastian adjusts my hand and then wraps my thumb around the ball, whispering in my ear, “Raise it ear-level. Laces away. And throw.”

I do. I miss again but not as bad as the first time. As a reward, he wraps his arm around my shoulders and kisses my temple.

There are a few rides at the back of the festival. Since it’s his day, I let him pick the ride.

“That one.” He points to a chair swing ride.

Where most seem to be a couple dozen feet off the ground, this is about a hundred and fifty feet high, and it bobs up and down as you ride. My stomach drops just as I look at it.

We stand in line and talk about the music that’s playing, the great weather, and how crowded the place is getting as the day goes on. Before I know it, it’s our turn, and Sebastian and I are taking side-by-side seats.

I double-check the lock on my seat belt, making sure I’m firmly secure … and then I check again. Sebastian doesn’t seem to be concerned at all. He has a cool confidence about him. A man who’s untouchable.

We start to move, and the wind on my skin feels refreshing. The ride lifts, and I grip the chain of the handles. As we rise, the people below get smaller, and my heart feels like it’s pounding hard in my chest. The clamminess from my hands makes them slide down the chains, which dig into my skin as I try to grip them. There’s a tension in my back that’s sharp from how tightly I’m holding my shoulders.

The swing is traveling fast, zipping around in circles and rising higher. And then it drops. That pounding heart is now making room for my stomach that has just launched itself up, threatening to make me sick.

A panic rushes over me, and I close my eyes, waiting for the ride to be over quickly. I try to calm myself by thinking of anything else. A pedicure, the stream of gooey chocolate as it’s getting ladled out of a metal bowl, and even sex. Nothing works.

“Open your eyes,” I hear Sebastian call over.

With a deep breath, I do, promising myself it’s only for a moment.

“Look at me, Amy.”

I roll my head to the side and see him. He’s huge in the seat. A man of his stature is practically ridiculous, squeezing into this thing, yet he’s smiling. I watch as his hands, which are resting on his thighs, rise up. He nods to me to do the same.

I shake my head.

Let go, he mouths.

I grip the chains harder as I look down, hoping for the ride to be over soon, thinking if it is, I suppose I could take a chance. Glancing over at Sebastian again, I use him as my strength, my confidence to do as he asked.

Slowly, I release my hands from the chains and bend my arms at my sides, barely lifting them up. With a deep—very deep—and shaky breath, I lift them higher. I pull them back for a beat before fully committing and launching them above my head.

Eyes open, shoulders high, and mouth parted, I inhale the eastern summer air and stare out at the world around me.

To my surprise, I feel okay. No, I feel better than okay.

I spit-laugh as I let out a smile, looking out at the city that is passing by in a blue blur. I can see the bridge and the riverbanks that line the city, past the highways and roads, and into the green hills in the distance.

I lose control and give it up, relinquishing myself to whatever might be. The rise and fall of the ride now do nothing for my nervous heart. Instead, I search forward to the next movements because I know I can handle it.

It’s freeing. It’s addictive. It’s magnificent.

The ride starts to lower, and we swing our way down to the ground. My legs are a little wobbly as we exit, but I do so with a laugh and a smile. As I trip slightly on the ramp, Sebastian takes my hand and weaves me back to the massive crowd that’s gathered by the main stage.

I text Charity to let her know where we are. She says she’s good with Jeremy and chooses a meetup spot in case we don’t find each other by the end of the night.

The sun is starting to set, and off in the distance, there’s a vendor selling glow necklaces. Sebastian jogs over to purchase two, one for my neck and another as a crown, which he places on my head.

I run a finger over his cheekbone and down his freshly shaven jaw, rubbing my thumb over his lips. He kisses it and then my wrist, holding my hand as the music for the next band starts to play on the main stage.

The band is playing a Coldplay cover, and Sebastian’s head swivels at the opening chords of the song. With a wide, beaming smile, he listens to one of his favorites, “A Sky Full of Stars.”

“You’re such a heavenly view,” he sings along as he watches the lead singer.

Meanwhile, my full attention is on him.

The sunset is casting a pink and gold haze in the sky that makes him seem ethereal. From the curve of his brow to the straight line of his nose, each facet of his face is illuminated.

He’s a beautiful man—that’s for sure.

Yet it’s not just his impossibly handsome face, that swagger, or the expensive things he treats me to, nor is it his career, high-priced clothes, or his townhome in the city.

No, what makes Sebastian the most beautiful man is his mind. It’s brilliant and thoughtful, steadfast and dedicated to everything he does.

It’s the Leo in him.

He’s carefree and king of the party, yet he’s focused and successful, always sticking to his goals. Loyal to his family, friends, his love. He’s the fire that life needs.

He’s what I need.

I’ve been successful. I’ve hung on to my ideals, and I do everything on my own. Yet this feeling of Zen, of flying high in the sky with my hands up in the air and letting go of some of that control because I know I can handle whatever life throws at me, is completely freeing. No, I’m not talking about the carnival ride. It’s life. Life is about taking leaps, yet knowing when your feet hit the ground, you’ll have the wherewithal to handle wherever you land.

Sebastian taught me that.

I told him I loved him, and it was sweet, but—fuck—I didn’t mean it like I do now.

In my entire life, I’ve never truly meant it when I said it to a man. People say it all the time because it feels like the right thing. It’s a passionate response. It’s powerful.

I know that because right here, right now, as I look at him in the middle of this dusty festival—smiling brightly, singing his songs, and holding my hand—I can say with one hundred percent certainty that I am in love with Sebastian Blake.

With a tug, I pull him close with my arms around his neck, soaking in his words as he sings and drowning them in a kiss. He wastes no time in seizing the moment, wrapping his strong arms around my waist and lifting me off the ground.

I kiss him with passion.

I kiss him with fire.

I kiss him with my entire being.

“I love you, Sebastian,” I say with my eyes wide open.

He opens his and stares at me for a beat. His head tilts slightly as his eyes narrow a touch, looking at me, staring at me, searching me.

As if the answer to his unanswered question has been found, he lets out a breath, and his eyes crinkle. His lips brush mine again.

“Of all the things you could have given me for my birthday, that is the best one yet,” he says with a big smile.

Now, it’s my turn to tilt my head. “What’s that?”

He grins. “More of you.”